Unlocking Tier 4 Troops in Rise of Kingdoms: A Comprehensive Guide
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Unlocking Tier 4 (T4) troops in Rise of Kingdoms (RoK) is a significant milestone, marking your transition into a mid-to-late game player. It’s a process that requires significant time, resource management, and strategic planning. To directly answer the question: You unlock T4 troops in Rise of Kingdoms by upgrading your Academy to Level 22, then researching the Tier 4 troop technologies for each troop type (Infantry, Cavalry, Archer, and Siege) within the Academy. This requires a substantial investment of resources, speedups, and time.
The Path to T4 Troops: A Detailed Breakdown
Reaching T4 troops isn’t just about hitting upgrade buttons. It’s a multi-stage process:
1. City Hall Level 22
This is the most fundamental prerequisite. Your City Hall must be at Level 22. This, in turn, dictates the maximum level of your other buildings. Prioritize upgrading your City Hall whenever possible, as it unlocks further research capabilities and building upgrades.
2. Building Requirements
Reaching City Hall Level 22 requires upgrading a series of support buildings to specific levels. Generally, you will need to upgrade all buildings to level 21. While the specific requirements vary slightly depending on your civilization choice, expect to focus on:
- Academy: Crucial for researching T4 technologies. Must reach Level 22.
- Barracks, Archery Range, Stable, and Siege Workshop: These need to be at least level 21. They are where you will be training your troops.
- Resource Production Buildings (Farms, Lumber Mills, Quarries, and Mines): While not directly impacting research, maintaining a strong resource production is vital to fueling the constant resource demand.
- Hospital: Higher level hospitals allow you to heal more troops at once.
- Trading Post: Enables you to trade resources with alliance members.
3. Research Power: Academy and Technology
The Academy is the heart of your technological advancement. Once your Academy reaches Level 22, the T4 troop technologies become available. This is where you will invest a significant amount of resources and time.
- Military Technology: Focus on research paths that lead to the T4 troop unlocks. This will typically involve researching prerequisite military technologies like “Archery,” “Horsemanship,” and “Infantry.”
- Prioritize One Troop Type: At this stage, it’s often beneficial to focus on researching the T4 technology for a single troop type (e.g., Infantry) first. This allows you to quickly field a strong force of one type, rather than spreading your resources thinly across all four. This focused approach gives you an immediate combat advantage.
4. Resource Management and Acceleration
Unlocking T4 troops is a resource-intensive undertaking. Expect to spend millions of each resource (food, wood, stone, and gold), as well as a substantial amount of gems and speedups.
- Optimize Resource Production: Maximize your resource production buildings and gather actively on the map. Join a strong alliance to benefit from alliance resource points.
- Speedups are Key: Accumulate speedups through events, daily rewards, and purchases. Use them strategically to accelerate building and research times. Plan your speedup usage to maximize benefits during events like More Than Gems.
- Consider Gem Spending: If you’re looking to accelerate your progress, consider using gems strategically on speedups and resources, especially during events that offer extra value.
- Alliance Help: Always ask your alliance for help with building and research. This significantly reduces the time required.
5. Patience and Persistence
Unlocking T4 troops takes time. Be prepared for a long grind, and don’t get discouraged. Consistency in resource gathering, building upgrades, and research will eventually pay off. Focus on long-term goals and incremental improvements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about T4 Troops
1. What are the advantages of T4 troops over T3 troops?
T4 troops are significantly stronger than T3 troops in terms of attack, defense, and health. They have a notable advantage in combat, leading to increased effectiveness in rallies, open-field battles, and defending your city. They are also generally more efficient in terms of resource cost versus combat effectiveness.
2. How long does it take to unlock T4 troops?
The time to unlock T4 troops varies greatly depending on your activity level, resource management, and spending habits. On average, it takes most players several months of consistent play. Players who are highly active and spend gems strategically can accelerate this process considerably.
3. Should I focus on one troop type when unlocking T4?
Yes, focusing on one troop type initially is highly recommended. This allows you to quickly field a strong force of a single type, giving you an immediate combat advantage. Infantry is often a good choice due to its defensive capabilities, but Cavalry and Archers can also be effective depending on your commander choices and playstyle.
4. What commanders are best for T4 troops?
The best commanders for T4 troops depend on the troop type and your overall strategy. Generally, commanders with strong offensive or defensive skills are ideal. Some popular choices include Richard I, Charles Martel, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Guan Yu. For specific troop types, focus on commanders who specialize in those units.
5. How important are VIP levels for unlocking T4?
VIP levels significantly accelerate progress due to the buffs they provide, such as increased building speed, research speed, and resource production. Aim to reach at least VIP level 10 as soon as possible, as this unlocks the second building queue and provides other valuable bonuses. VIP 12 offers even better benefits.
6. What is the best way to gather resources efficiently?
Join an alliance and farm in alliance territories, which provide resource bonuses. Utilize gathering commanders with skills that increase gathering speed and resource capacity. Level up your gathering technology in the economic research tree. Always keep your resource queues full.
7. How can I get more speedups?
Participate in events, complete daily quests, open chests, and purchase them from the VIP shop or gem shop. Focus on events that reward speedups as prizes. Be mindful of spending during events like “More Than Gems” that offer extra value for gem purchases.
8. What happens after I unlock T4 troops?
After unlocking T4 troops, the game opens up to new strategies and challenges. Focus on building a strong army composition, training multiple queues of T4 troops, and participating in alliance wars and kingdom events. Continue researching technology to further enhance your troop stats. Preparing for KvK (Kingdom vs Kingdom) is a crucial next step.
9. Are T5 troops significantly better than T4 troops?
Yes, T5 troops are considerably more powerful than T4 troops. However, unlocking T5 troops requires a much greater investment of time, resources, and even money. It’s a long-term goal for endgame players.
10. What should I do if I run out of resources?
Join a strong alliance that offers resource assistance. Use resource boost items. Farm on the map, focusing on nodes that are close to your city or alliance territory. Trade resources with alliance members. Consider purchasing resource packs if you’re comfortable spending money.
11. Is it worth using gems to buy resources?
Generally, it’s more efficient to use gems for speedups rather than directly buying resources. However, during certain events, such as the “More Than Gems” event, buying resource packs can offer good value. Assess your needs and budget carefully before spending gems on resources.
12. How do I effectively defend my city against attacks?
Join a strong alliance and stay within their territory for protection. Build up your city walls and defenses. Stockpile resources in your city to avoid giving attackers a profitable target. Keep your peace shield active when you are not online or actively defending.
13. How important is technology research for my troops?
Technology research is crucial for enhancing your troop stats and unlocking new abilities. Prioritize military technology that improves attack, defense, and health. Also, invest in economic technology to improve resource production and gathering speed.
14. What role do alliance technologies play?
Alliance technologies provide kingdom-wide buffs that benefit all alliance members. Contribute to alliance technology research whenever possible to improve your overall power.
15. Is it possible to unlock T4 troops as a free-to-play player?
Yes, it is definitely possible to unlock T4 troops as a free-to-play player. However, it requires more time, patience, and strategic planning. Focus on maximizing resource production, participating in events, and utilizing alliance help. Be prepared for a longer grind compared to players who spend money.